Sixteen per cent of Australians suffer from persistent nasal allergies, or rhinitis, while many suffer seasonal allergies.

Charlie Xue, a professor of Chinese medicine at RMIT University in Melbourne, showed that two months of acupuncture reduced the symptoms of persistent rhinitis - sneezing, itchy and blocked nose, and rhinorrhoea (runny nose) - for at least three months.

While there was a big reduction in only one of the symptoms - rhinorrhoea - patients reported "significant relief" overall in the four symptoms, he said.

Patients were allowed to use pharmaceutical treatments such as antihistamines and nasal sprays during the study to relieve symptoms but reported a drop in usage.

Some treatments can dry out nasal membranes and lead to nose bleeds but the only adverse effects reported in the study were those of any acupuncture treatment - occasional pain and bruising from the needles - but not enough for any of the patients to pull out of the treatment.